RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) – North Carolina environmental officials are investigating a report by Greensboro that a carcinogenic chemical was released during wastewater treatment by a company.
A North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality statement Tuesday cites Greensboro officials who said the chemical 1,4 dioxane came from Shamrock Environmental Corp.
The city says the chemical was released from the company’s waste processing facility and eventually turned up in the Cape Fear River basin.
However, state officials say the City of Greensboro holds the discharge permit for the pretreatment program. State officials are pursuing enforcement.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has identified 1,4 dioxane as a likely human carcinogen. It’s a clear liquid found in paint strippers , varnishes and other solutions.
A representative of Shamrock Environmental didn’t immediately return a call seeking comment Wednesday.
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